Looking at Prius...

Favorite: stealth mode, and of course hi MPG
Worst: rear vision

 

1. 200,000 miles at least
2. $800 salvage
3. This is about the most reliable car you can buy so repairs and maintenance are lower than anything else you might choose. There is no timing belt, no alternator and don't expect to do any break work north of 100k miles.
4. There are always picky people.

 

1) Battery comes with 7 year / 100,000 mile warranty (10 year 150,000 in California) It should last the useful life of the car.
2) Less than the price of replacing a transmission on a typical car.
3) The Car is solid and very low maintenance. Check out Consumer reports at the book / magazine store and look up the ratings.
4) I absolutely love My Prius, there isn't anything that I dislike just things I wish it also had such as the "sync" setup that Ford has".

 

Nobody really knows. The Prius with most miles was totalled in a collision at 349,500-some miles. It was still using the original batteries. That may have been an exceptional case, but there are Prius taxis used in Canada that have > 250,000 miles on the original batteries. Until we have more cars get to 100K, 150K and above, we don't really have the answer, but I don't know of any Prius owners that have had to replace their batteries except for two reasons: damaged in accident, or ran out of gas and tried to go too far on battery power only (may not kill the battery right there, but severely lowers its lifespan).

Occasionally a cell will fail and that's replaced, hopefully in warranty. The whole battery pack is probably a couple thousand $, depending if you can find used ones from a totalled vehicle, but chances are good you won't ever need to use that knowledge.

It's above average reliability in all categories according to Consumer Reports. Some 2004, 2005 models had recalls. It appears the 2006 (and later?) models have a coolant pump that tends to start making noise after 15-20K miles, but it doesn't require an urgent fix. Other than that it's quite trouble-free.

Seating position threw me off at first, but I got used to it. There's an internal back-up beeper whenever you're in reverse, but that can be disabled if it bothers you. Some people have reported problems with slipping on icy/snowy inclines but for others (like myself) the Prius has handled as well or better than any other FWD car. You can get snow tires if you find yourself in that position, and they do help considerably.

If you have a short commute (less than 6 miles) you won't get the advertised mpg, and the first tank or two will be lower as well. But in general people average 46-48 mpg in real-world driving. It's sensitive to your driving style, weather, commute length, tire pressure, etc. so you might do better or worse than that.

The biggest negative, honestly, is being exposed to people who think they have a right to tell you why your purchase isn't worth the money. Where were they when I bought a Subaru Outback instead of the cheaper and almost identical (except for trim and suspension) Legacy L? It's okay to spend money on extras for any other car, but buy a Prius and some people will question your judgement. You can even add options for the built-in nav function, or back-up camera or leather seats or integrated cell-phone technology and people won't comment on that aspect of it, just the part that will actually save you money.

On the plus side, resale values are good, maintenance costs are low (5K oil changes, brakes last a really long time), and gas prices are only going to go up, making it more valuable. Every time I go to the gas station and pay $25 for a full tank after going nearly 400 miles, I just smile.

 

Stop looking and buy one. If you're already taken with it, I can tell you there are no technical or reliability issues to keep you at bay. CR just rated the Prius as the least expensive family car own.

Tom

 

Don't wait too long because as it gets closer to Summer and the price of gas increases more they will disappear from lots even faster and the dealers will raise their prices.